


Half Hour of Flour

by quiet__tiger



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Cooking, Gen, Humor, M/M, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 19:24:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10703526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet__tiger/pseuds/quiet__tiger
Summary: Torchwood 3 takes a baking class as a means of team bonding.





	Half Hour of Flour

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: "Spock, cooking, team bonding."
> 
> Takes place early season 2.
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal Jun. 11th, 2009.

“This is bollocks.”

“It’s supposed to be fun.” Jack watched Owen glare, venom in his sharp eyes. “The girls are having fun.”

“Good for them.”

Good for everyone, really, even if Owen wanted to bitch. Jack hadn’t been positive the baking class would be fun at first, but there was food and laughter and Ianto focusing so hard as he measured the flour that there was a crease in his forehead.

Gwen patted Owen on the back, leaving a floury handprint on his shoulder. “Come on, Owen. You like scones. Even better when they’re made from scratch.”

“Better when I can buy them in five minutes, not watch them in the oven for half an hour.”

Jack watched the instructor look over at their little group and frown. “Owen. You can be here with us and this lovely class, or you can go and finish the reports you owed me yesterday.”

Owen sighed, shoulders sagging. “Bollocks.”

Compared to Owen’s whining, Tosh and Gwen did seem to be enjoying themselves. Jack hadn’t been aware that either of them enjoyed cooking or baking, but at least they were having fun here. Maybe the finished product would even taste okay.

He watched as Tosh carefully sliced a stick of butter into the bowl she was sharing with Gwen. “Things okay here?”

“Now that Owen has stopped griping.” She smiled at him and he had to smile back. They all needed more smiles; work had been hard lately, especially for Tosh.

“Don’t let him get to you. He’s already doing better.” He gestured over to the table where Ianto had been measuring. Now he was watching Owen estimate the rest of the ingredients and dump everything into the bowl.

Ianto had his hands on his hips and looked exasperated. “If they taste strange, it’s your fault.”

“If we left it up to you, we’d be here till tomorrow morning watching you measure everything to the grain.”

“It’s that precision that lets you enjoy your coffee every day. I can dump everything into the filter carelessly if you prefer.”

The shouts of “No!” from Gwen, Tosh, and Jack were simultaneous. Jack stepped between Ianto and Owen, hand coming up to rest on Ianto’s shoulder. He looked into his lovely blue eyes, which were bright and appeared to be smiling slightly though his lips were in a line. “Don’t torture the rest of us because Owen is an ass.”

Ianto squeezed Jack’s hand then pushed it off his shoulder. “I’d only do it for his.”

“Good.” Jack closed rest of the distance between them so he could whisper, and he could _feel_ Ianto get a little aroused. “Play nice and I’ll make it up to you later.”

“Make it up more, you mean. I already know how to bake.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you do. But the class isn’t about the baking, it’s about the camaraderie and having fun together.” Owen mumbled something behind Jack, and Jack turned to him. “Care to repeat that, Owen?”

“I said we should just have an orgy. Bonding _and_ sex all at once.”

Glancing around the room, Jack saw that the other groups of people in the class were staring at them. He turned back to Owen and grinned. “Your voice carries. But you can put the orgy idea into the suggestion box for the next group activity. I know I wouldn’t turn it down.”

Ianto raised his hand. “I’d prefer we take a vote on that one, Jack.”

“Well, we did agree to do what each other wanted…”

“And I still don’t understand why you wanted us to take this class.”

“So I can leave my mark on you.”

Ianto’s eyes went wide and he twisted around enough to see the hand-shaped flour print on his arse that Jack had left there soon after they arrived. “Jack!”

Tosh and Gwen giggled and Owen rolled his eyes. Jack helped Ianto dust the flour off, maybe a bit too carefully, taking some time to grope.

He heard a woman clear her throat behind him. Jack stood up straight, turned, and stuck out his hand to the instructor of the course. “Captain Jack Harkness.”

She raised her eyebrow as she shook his hand. “Gail Ackerman. I’m afraid you’re causing a disruption in my class.”

Jack heard Owen mumble again, something that sounded like ‘give them another minute and a blind eye.’ Gail whipped her head around to stare at him, and Jack used his most charming chuckle to get her attention back. “We apologize. We’ve had a tough time lately and thought it’d be fun to do something together that was relaxing.”

The response to his charm was an icy, “This is a warning.” The chuckle and explanation apparently were not successful.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She raised her eyebrows again, then turned back to the rest of the class to check on the other groups, all of whom were looking over at the Torchwood group. Turning back to his own team, Jack saw that Gwen was trying very hard not to laugh, Tosh was glaring at Owen, Owen was furiously kneading dough, and Ianto was glaring at Jack. “What? Better a print on your arse than on your groin, right?”

Ianto was not mollified. “Off limits. For the rest of the night.”

“The whole rest of the night?”

“Maybe the rest of the week.”

Owen spun around. “Oh no. You don’t put out and we all suffer. I’ll be good, we’ll all make scones, and you two go home and shag.”

“Sounds like a plan. Everyone okay with that?” Tosh and Gwen shared a look, and Owen returned to kneading. Definitely a good plan in Jack’s mind. Anything that involved him, Ianto, and nudity was a good time.

The rest of the class almost went off without a hitch, but then there was a comment by Owen, retaliation from Gwen, attempted mediation by Ianto, and a fight with flour and baking powder. The members of Torchwood 3 were unceremoniously asked to leave and never return.

Outside on the street, Gwen huffed. “Good job, Owen. Now we don’t even get our scones.”

Rolling his eyes, Owen replied, “I’ll buy you scones.”

“I want them homemade.”

“I am not making you--”

Ianto interrupted, and Jack had to grin at the annoyance he could hear in his voice. “I’ll make you both scones if you both just shut up.”

Tosh pouted. “What about me? I didn’t start the fight.”

“You get scones and the good coffee.” With the implication that the others got the _bad_ coffee, as if Ianto even had any of that at the Hub.

Jack still found it strange that Ianto rounded up everyone else even though he was the youngest member of the team. Too much responsibility on his shoulders, even if they were broad enough to handle the weight. Sexy broad shoulders and that handsome face… Time to go back to Ianto’s flat.

“Jack.”

“Huh?”

Ianto looked at him closely. “I asked if we should go back to the Hub for scones and coffee, or wait for another night.”

Jack couldn’t quite read which Ianto wanted to do. So much practice at hiding his feelings and what he was thinking that he was still difficult to figure out, even though Jack had seen his come face in a dozen or more positions. He was totally unguarded at those times now, fortunately. It was tough at first; Ianto had trouble letting himself go. But now… Jack was ecstatic; he’d had too many emotionless partners. Never anyone quite Spock-like, but close enough. But Ianto, once he just let himself _feel_ …

Finally realizing Ianto actually wanted an answer and not to just be stared at, Jack shrugged. Yeah, he was horny, but he didn’t want to be the one to end everyone’s fun for the night. “Put it to a vote.”

Owen mumbled something about democracy, but voted to go back to the Hub, so maybe he really had enjoyed himself tonight. Tosh and Gwen also voted for the Hub. Jack couldn’t help but shoot Ianto a look that he hoped clearly said ‘Naked. ASAP.’

Ianto gave him a little shrug as if to say ‘we’re out-voted’ and then said, “To the Hub then. Snacks and coffee.”

They all climbed into the SUV, and Owen asked, “So, Jack, what’s next? If we don’t do the orgy, I mean.”

“Anyone have an idea?” His question was met with silence. “If there’s no ideas, then we have to go with the orgy.”

Shouted at the same time were, “Cinema!” “Zoo!” and “Shopping!”

Jack thought about the possible disasters that could happen with the five of them at any of those things. There was probably a sixty percent chance Owen would wind up in one of the predatory animal pens at the zoo, and not by his own choice. Men shopping with women was doomed for failure, and what would they buy, Weevil food? But maybe they could do a movie… His and Ianto’s fingers, slippery with butter, touching each other, maybe sitting in a row by themselves…

“Excellent idea, Ianto. We should take in a movie.”

Owen sighed like he could read Jack’s mind. Not that it would take much work in the state Jack had worked himself into all night. He was happy. Even getting kicked out of the class had been kind of fun.

Finally Jack started the SUV, glad they had a tentative plan for next time. That is, until the arguing began as to what movie they should see. Jack drowned it out, and focused on the way Ianto’s hand crept up his thigh.

Snacks and coffee would be great, but hopefully he and Ianto could kick the others out before too long.

Unless everyone changed their minds about the orgy…


End file.
